A New Day: We Re Listening

Office of Disability Employment Policy Listening Tour

U.S. Department of Labor Region I

Listening Session

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

Summary

Sheraton Boston Hotel

39 Dalton Street

Boston, MA

March 3, 2010

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

A New Day: We’re Listening

Office of Disability Employment Policy

U.S. Department of Labor Region I

Summary

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

KEY ISSUES

WHAT’S WORKING

RECOMMENDATIONS

BOSTON LISTENING PANEL

INDIVIDUALS WHO PRESENTED COMMENTS TO THE PANEL

This report was prepared under the direction of Event Strategies, Inc. under Contract #GS23F0091M for the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor. The statements and recommendations in this report are those of the individuals who provided either verbal or written comments, as well as their release for their use, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor.

A New Day: We’re Listening

U.S. Department of Labor Region I

INTRODUCTION

On March 3, 2010, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) held the sixth of a series of six Listening Sessions in Boston, MA. The purpose of the Listening Session was to provide a forum to collect information and comments from stakeholders about best practices and key issues to be addressed by Federal systems regarding the employability, employment, retention and promotion of people with disabilities.

Noting that “the employment figures for people with disabilities are way too low,” ODEP Assistant Secretary Kathleen Martinez invited representatives from other Federal agencies to participate on the listening panel. Assistant Secretary Martinez said, “I am pleased to announce that the Department of Labor (DOL) is working in tandem with other Federal agencies to change this picture as we strive for good jobs for everyone, including those of us with disabilities.”

Assistant Secretary Martinez invited stakeholders to provide input in three key areas: (1) More effective ways to increase employment of women, Veterans and minorities with disabilities; (2) identification of Federal and state systems effectively collaborating to achieve successful employment outcomes for people with disabilities; and (3) identification of three top issues on which the Federal government should focus to support an increase in labor force participation of people with disabilities.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Of 187 stakeholders who registered for the Boston Listening Session, 96 attended. These stakeholders included individuals, service providers and employers from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Through advance registration, individuals were scheduled to make formal presentations. As time permitted, ODEP also invited comments from the audience. A total of 28 attendees presented formal remarks or made comments from the audience. ODEP invited online comments from those who were unable to attend, or wished to make additional comments. The online comment period remained open for 48 hours after the Listening Session, and resulted in comments from an additional 25 individuals.

In addition to ODEP, representatives from the following agencies comprised the listening panel: Rehabilitation Services Administration,U.S. Department of Education; Office of Program Development and Research and the Boston Regional Office, U.S. Social Security Administration; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services; Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor; and the Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.

Phil Zukas, Co-Chair, Massachusetts Employment Now Coalition, and Bill Henning, Director, BostonCenter for Independent Living and Co-chair, Massachusetts Employment Now Coalition, welcomed the participants. They also discussed the Massachusetts’ Governor’s Model Employer Initiative, targeting the state’s Executive Branch agencies as employment venues for people with disabilities. The initiative includes a self-identification campaign, a pool of money for reasonable accommodations and paid internships for youth with disabilities referred through the Vocational Rehabilitation system.

Topics addressed as significant includeduniversal design, improving employment outcomes for people with mental illness, ongoing supports, accommodations for hidden disabilities, the Federal government as model employer, leveraging the differences between rehabilitation and employment services, education about autism, jobs of the future, small business employer education, soft skills training, and coordination and collaboration among service agencies.

Participants identified effective Federal and state programs, as well as private-sector and non-profit programs with effective practices related to the employment of people with disabilities.

Recommendations by the attendees focused on the following areas:workforce participation of people with disabilities, work/benefits offset, employer education and incentives, job web site accessibility, transportation, universally-designed accessible technology, adult internships, supported employment, ongoing supports, public/private partnerships, Disability Program Navigators, data collection, technology training, collaboration, sub-minimum wage, Employment First, youth transition, welfare recipients, work disincentives, work opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, green jobs, earnings and savings limits, talent management and development, accessibility, small businesses owned by people with disabilities, at-home employment training, program funding, program accountability, equal opportunity, online qualifying assessment tool, priority consideration, Federal employment practices, employer-provider contact and public awareness campaign.

KEY ISSUES

The key issues identified by this group of stakeholders were the following:

The need to focus on universal design to make the employment environment welcoming to all.

The need to improve employment outcomes for people with mental illness. People with mental illness comprise over 33 percent of the disability rolls – the fastest growing disability group, and less than 5 percent of that population ever leaves the rolls. The cost to taxpayers is $2 billion per month.
The need to provide ongoing supports to people with disabilities so that they can keep their jobs.
The need to ensure that employers understand accommodation needs of people with hidden disabilities.
The need for the Federal government to lead by exampleby being a model employer, sharing job openings with vocational rehabilitation agencies and One Stops and offering assistance in making public sector job placements happen.
The need to leverage the differences between rehabilitation and employment services. The Federal government should support collaboration to make the most of resources, but leave room for individualized services that people with disabilities need to obtain, retain and sustain employment.
The need to educate the community, service providers and employers about people with autism. Self-advocates and advocacy organizations would be effective partners in the training.
The need to ensure that people with disabilities are being trained for jobs of the future.
The need to educate small businesses on disability awareness, architectural barriers and tax incentives.
The need to include soft skills training in employment preparation for people with disabilities. Among other attributes, stress team players, effective work habits, and appropriate interactions with coworkers and supervisors.
The need for coordination and collaboration among service agencies. Too many Federal programs operate as silos.

WHAT’S WORKING

The following programs were identified as beneficial to improving employment opportunities of people with disabilities.

Disability Program Navigator (DPN). This program was praised by individuals throughout this region.
Specific examples from Maine show that the DPN has been successful in expanding both physical and programmatic access in Maine’s One Stop Centers. The DPN provides support in each of four workforce regions, including technical assistance and training for CareerCenter staff on topics such as disability resources, Social Security and disclosure; provides outreach to local service providers; disseminates materials for job seekers with disabilities at local job fairs; publishes weekly tips on disability employment topics; works with Veterans services to provide disability-related information and resources; and serves as a conduit between the Social Security Administration offices in Maine and the CareerCenters to identify potential job candidates with disabilities for the SSA field offices.

A Massachusetts resident, who, despite work experience and an impressive resume, had difficulty finding employment due to sensory loss, said, “If not for the Disability Program Navigator, I would not be where I am today.” The DPN taught him to network, critiqued his resume and opened doors to employers he had never considered.

Examples of DPN effectiveness in New YorkState included:
In the Binghamton area, a DPN reported that in 2009 she had met with approximately 360 individuals with disabilities. During her tenure on the job, 433 individuals with disabilities obtained and retained employment for at least the first quarter after exiting from services. They were employed in retail, building maintenance, food service, clerical fields, driving, health care and medical research.
In Canton,NY, a youth services coordinator reported that, as a result of the DPN, the Summer Youth Employment and Training Opportunities program served 42 youth with disabilities in a job-coached work experience and life skills training. The DPN conducted all the assessments for youth eligibility and provided a conduit for information exchange between the program, school systems, the Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) Centers, parents and the youth.
In White Plains, NY, the DPN established a working relationship with the Westchester County Independent Living Center (WCILC), using WCILC’s vast resource network to navigate consumers through varied supportive services which successfully enable them to develop employment goals and strategies to achieve the goals. Between May and December 2009, the DPN engaged 429 individuals with disabilities, referring 191 to appropriate partner agencies, 62 to job readiness workshops and 125 to employment sources. Currently, 16 of these individuals are continuing in gainful employment.

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). NIDRR is viewed as a small but cutting edge agency that has provided significant funding for innovative research on workplace and school accessibility.
Medicaid Buy-in. In 2009, over 6,000 people in New YorkState enrolled in this program. Among other successes was the opportunity for a young man with mental illness to set up his own businesses as a guitar instructor, which gave him a renewed sense of purpose.

Customized Employment/Self Employment. In economically depressed rural areas, self- employment may be the only option for people with and without disabilities. Customized Employment is an effective strategy which should be considered as an employment option.
Benefits counseling. This SSA funded program is very important to helping people understand how income relates to benefits.

STRATEGIESIDENTIFIED BY BOSTON PRESENTERS

Promising Research -- Transition from School to Post-Secondary Education, New EnglandADACenter, in partnership with the Center of Labor Market Studies, NortheasternUniversity, Boston, MA

Developed database to understand experiences of youth with disabilities in high school
Assimilated data from 30 different school districts in New England
Created longitudinal database with the National Student Clearinghouse, a post-secondary clearinghouse designed by banks and higher education institutions to confirm student enrollment for lending purposes
Provides comprehensive record of every student in college throughout the United States
Can track students over a period of time
Some findings related to retention:
Cognitive factors are powerful determinants.
Behavioral factors are powerful determinants.
Students who come out of vocational technology programs who participated in full inclusion and activities had a substantially higher probability of post-secondary retention than students without disabilities.

Promising Practice – Partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Labor and the Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University, Boston, MA

Series of five training sessions around the state for people involved in job development and placement activities for people with disabilities
Based on the premise that the labor market is a social institution
Focus on a network of relationships, including local employers in which there would be the highest probability of placement
Focus on who is being served, each individual’s strengths and weaknesses, and how to fit these individuals into the job market in an effective way based on personal relationships
Web-based support for people involved in job development and placement

Promising Practice – IPS Supported Employment, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

Funded by Johnson & Johnson, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) implemented an 11-state individualized placement and support (IPS) supported employment project.

In 7 of the states, families are involved in helping to make the community aware of the roles families can play and the important role the person with mental illness can play in the community and work.
Supported employment is a critical component for building opportunities for people with mental illness, as evidenced in 11 trials:
In the trials, 61 percent of the people ended up working, compared to 23 percent of the usual care group.
Of those working, two-thirds were in competitive employment jobs and worked 20 or more hours a week.
On average, the group worked for 25 weeks.
Supported employment cost the provider less per client per year than the usual cost for outpatient and institutional days.

Promising Practices – Projects funded by the Kessler Foundation, West Orange, NJ

The Kessler Foundation is a public charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with physical disabilities caused by stroke, multiple sclerosis, injuries to the brain and spinal cord, and other chronic conditions. The Foundation’s funding supports rehabilitation research and vocational training and placement opportunities for people with disabilities. Recent funding has supported the following three projects:

MosaicRegionalCenter for Disability Employment, led by BergenCommunity College

Mosaic is a clearinghouse that supports job placement, retention, training and advancement of individuals with disabilities in three New Jersey counties.

Mosaic includes public and private partners who have come together to form a single point of contact that links private companies and social service providers for job placement.
In 12 months, the clearinghouse has served nearly 200 individuals.
Mosaic has grown from a collaborative with a handful of partners to more than 120 public/private partners.
BergenCommunity College leveraged Kessler’s initial $500,000 grant to secure $2.3 million from the Department of Labor for a community-based employment training grant to expand services for minority and low-income populations.

Partnership between the New Jersey Society for Human Resource Management (NJSHRM) and CornellUniversity
NJSHRM staff and Cornell faculty facilitated 12 workshops for approximately 400 human resource and job development professionals.
The workshops were supplemented by online tutorials and assessments specifically designed for each group.
Topics included trends in today’s workplace, making the business case for hiring people with disabilities, return on investment for inclusive talent management, and assessing hiring practices.
Pre- and post-training scores showed that participants increased their knowledge of disability and related employment issues.
As a spin-off project, Cornell plans to create new online tools to meet the needs of Veterans with disabilities who wish to re-enter the job market, including the development of special employment modules for companies that plan to hire Veterans.

Wounded Warriors Career Demonstration

This project is a partnership between the National Organization on Disability (NOD) and the U.S. Army’s Wounded Warrior (AW2) program.

A $1.5 million grant is being used to develop a pilot to help refine the AW2 Career Services program.
The primary goal is to find effective ways of helping severely injured Veterans to progress toward careers.
NOD Career Specialists, who are retired military, partner with AW2 advocates in reaching out to individual injured soldiers.
Both specialists have full access to all data.
Career specialists provide pro-active, frequent outreach and services, linking soldiers with local career resources and job opportunities.
Career specialists also direct both soldiers and their families to other local supports, such as benefits planning, home modification and vehicle modification assistance.
Launched originally in Dallas, TX, the pilot expanded to Colorado and North Carolina in its first year.
The program has recorded 3,600 referrals and directly serves 209 soldiers.

Lessons learned about collaboration from these grant-making activities are the following:

Bringing organizations together in public/private collaborations can be both the greatest accomplishment and the greatest challenge.
Collaborations can be effectively leveraged for additional funding, which ensures sustainability of the project.
It is critical to have an individual or core group willing to lead and keep other members on track through a delicate balance of egos, politics and staff turnover.

Effective Practices – IBM

Hiring people with disabilities has been part of the company’s culture since its founding. The company’s founder believed that bringing together people with different backgrounds and divergent diversity fuels innovation. IBM hired its first employee with a disability in 1914. Today, the company’s practices include:

Human Ability and AccessibilityCenter
Ensures that IBM products, solutions, and services are accessible
Leverages the latest research and technology in enabling both customers and consumers in their workplace setting
Holistic approach to employment – in addition to hiring and recruiting, attention to the advancement and promotion of people with disabilities
Routine reviews to ensure equal access to promotional opportunities
Review and prioritization of how to support people with disabilities on a sustaining basis in the same way as any other business executive
Consideration of hiring, promoting and nurturing people with disabilities as part of the workforce as a business proposition
Assurance of equal productivity and equal access to information through technology
Development of a multi-year, multi-million dollar Accessibility Workforce Portal
Allows employees around the world to go to one place for information, one place for managers to understand accommodation needs
Links to Human Ability and AccessibilityCenter’s services so that everything can be done at one location

Effective Collaborative Efforts –Maine Department of Labor (MDOL)